Needle-threader



June 8, 1954 E. VON ULLISPERGER 2,680,413

NEEDLE-THREADER Filed May 16, 1950 Fig.1

INVENTOR.

Patented June 8, 1954 UNITED STATS ATENT OFFICE NEEDLE-THREADER Edmund von Ullisperger, Hurth, Germany Application May 16, 1950, Serial No. 162,243

Claims priority, application Germany May 24, 1949 V 9 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in needle threaders, viz. auxiliary, time saving devices for passing a thread through the eye or" turally simple pusher pins have not become very popular amongst operators of sewing machines and other practitioners. This is so because their accessorial mechanism and means for inserting the pin into the eye of the needle to be threaded worked unsatisfactorily and could not be relied upon.

The drawbacks concerned inherent to needle threaders of the type described have been overcome and eliminated through my invention, which is set forth in the following specification and will be better understood from the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows by way of an example a needle threader, redesigned according to this invention and attached to the needle bar of a sewing machine,in.its upper idle position,

Fig. 2 shows the needle threader in its initial working phase, while in Fig. 3 the needle threade'r is shown, just as the threading operation is completed,

Fig. 4 is a cross section through the threader and needle taken on line IV-IV in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a cross section through the threader alone taken on line V-V in Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a cross section through the threader and needle taken on line VV and shown in a larger scale.

The needle threader of the type set forth and redesigned according to this invention comprises the combination with a support l, attached to and. crosswisely projecting from the needle bar 2 of a sewing or other thread consuming machine I, of an articulated threader mechanism, accommodating a threading pin 5 and being hinged to said support 4, so as to be swung around as a unit by the operator of the machine into engagement with the needle 3 to be threaded. It is thereupon automatically disengaged and placed in an idle position (Fig. 1) on meeting obstructions, indicated at 15.

In the embodiment of the invention shown way of example in the drawing the threader mechanism comprises main swing arm I fulcrumed at l" to said support 4 and loaded by a torsional or clock spring l3, and a coordinator structure, attached to said main swing arm 1 and adapted to positively align the threader proper with the shaft and point of the needle to be threaded and to place the thread across the needles eye.

This coordinator structure herein referredto is synonomous with the entire swing arm structure. The redesigned coordinator comprises a- U-shaped companion latch having two clamp arms 6, 5' adjustably attached to the'main swing arm i and embracing with its offset upper endportion 8 the needle shaft 3, as seen in Fig. 4,

and embracing with its rounded and funnel shaped lower end portion 57, 9', recessed at re cess It, the needles point, as seen in Figs. 2-,3

and 6.

Adjusting means such as slots 12 in the main" tor into its exact working position, in which the thread under treatment will lie right across the needles eye (Fig. 2).

The U-shaped latch with its clamp arms 6,

6 may be attached to the main swing arm i in any known manner. It is, however, prefer: able to attach this U-shaped latch to the main swing arm l by means of the set screw [2"positioned on a portion of one of the clamp arms at 6, which set screw is tightened about the adjusting slot 12 in the main swing arm I. When the coordinator structure is in proper position, so that the thread is laid across the needles eye, set screw !2 is tightened so as to maintain this adjustment. This adjustment may be made for whatever working conditions are encountered. It is then an easy task for the operator, requiring no aiming or troublesome directing operations, to push the thread into and through the needles eye, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, which is accomplished according to this invention by an are shaped flattened pin 5 attached to auxiliary swing arms 5, 5", which are spring-loaded by means of spring [3' fulcrumed in the upper end portion 3, 8 of the clamp arms 6, 6' of the U-shaped coordinator latch closely to and in line with the needle shaft 3, and provided with a thumb plate NJ for the convenience of the operator. The auxiliary swing arms 5, 5 are connected to the pivot l by means of a spring l3 which spring-loads these auxiliary swing arms and serves to retract the pin 5 after the threading operation. The swing arm l is springloaded by means of the spring l3, one end of which is fastened to the swing arm 1 and the other side of which is fastened to the support t.

A safety pin or feeler l4, connected to one of the coordinator clamp arms 6, 6' which constitute the threader mechanism support at Hi, so as to project downwardly in sloping position, may

be provided to advantage, adapted to throw the whole threader mechanism aside into an upper or idle position (Fig. 1), on accidentally meeting with obstructions, such as shown at it, as in the event, should the needle bar 2 be involuntarily actuated and descend.

As shown, the pin It is connected to the clamp arm 6 at I4.

Various other supplemental structural features, changes or modifications may be resorted to with needle threaders shown and described, without departing from the spirit and ideas of this invention, e. g. clamping and locking means may be provided for rapidly attaching the threader mechanism and detaching it from the support 4, and (or) for attaching and detaching the support to and from the needle bar 2, also for arresting the threader mechanism in its upper or idle position (Fig. 1).

What I claim is:

1. A needle threader for use with a sewing machine, comprising a swing arm, a support arm, a substantially U-shaped threader mechanism support having an upper and lower leg portion, and an arc-shaped threader push pin, said support arm having one end of said swing arm pivotally connected at one end thereof and having a clamp for attachment to the needle bar of a sewing machine at the other end thereof, said U-shaped threader mechanism support being connected to the other end of said swing arm with said upper and lower leg portions extend ing inwardly toward the needle of a sewing machine when said needle threader is attached thereto in working position, and said arc-shaped threader push pin being pivotally connected to said threader mechanism support at said upper leg of said threader mechanism support, whereby, when said clamp is attached to the needle bar of a sewing machine and threader mechanism support and said threader push pin are swung into a working position with said swing arm, the pivot of said arc-shaped threader push pin has its rotational axis passing through the shank of the needle of the sewing machine and said threader push pin may be moved around said which said threader mechanism support is adjustably positioned on said swing arm by means of a set screw positioned on said threader mechanism support and a slot defined by the end of said swing arm passing around and in holding contact with said set screw upon tightening said set screw.

Needle-threader according to claim 1, in cluding spring means connected to said swing arm and said support arm for resiliently forcing the end of said swing arm to which said threader mechanism support is attached away from the needle of the sewing machine.

5. Needle-threader according to claim 1, in which said threader mechanism support comprises a U-shaped latch having two clamp arms and said threader push pin includes a push-pin holder of substantially the same shape as said threader mechanism support.

6. Needle-threader according to claim 1, in which said threader mechanism support comprises a U-shaped latch having two clamp arms, said latch being adjustably attached to the main swing arm and having an off-set upper leg portion for embracing the needle shaft and a recessed and rounded funnel-shaped lower leg portion for embracing the needle point, and in which said threader push pin is pivotally connected to the upper end portion of said threader mechanism support through a pair of auxiliary swing arms of substantially the same shape as said threader mechanism support and pivotally mounted at the upper leg portion of said threader mechanism support.

7. Needle-threader according to claim 1, including a ieeler pin positioned on said threader mechanism support and projecting downwardly therefrom.

8. Needle-threader according to claim 6, ineluding means connected to said swing arm and said support arm for resiliently forcing the end of said swing arm to which said threader mechanism support is attached away from the needle oi the sewing machine.

9. Needle-threader according to claim 8, including a finger plate attached at one end to said auxiliary swing arm.

References Sited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 321,469 Wilson July '7, 1885 392,826 Miner Nov. 13, 1888 726,083 Maynard Apr. 21, 1903 1,359,592 Corduan Aug. 24, 1920 2,108,474 Brun et a1. Feb. 15, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 631,952 Germany June 30, 1936 

